Draco's Angels (REVAMPED)
by brynnmbutler
Summary: "Despite all odds, she had done it. Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her age, had successfully left the wizarding world." Hermione Granger left the wizarding world for a more normal and calm life in muggle London. A wrench is thrown into her plans when her baby's father is NOT who anyone expected it to be. How will she continue to support herself and her new baby? (REVAMPED)
1. New Beginnings

**_A/N:_** ** _Okay so I am really really excited for you guys to read this! Eek! Please enjoy!_**

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Despite all odds, she had done it. Hermione Granger, smartest witch of her age, had successfully left the wizarding world. Without any warning, she simply disappeared. Few knew of her location, and that was just how she liked it. Hermione felt so accomplished for what she had done in this past year. Though very controversial, she had left behind her tarnished reputation and emerged into the muggle world where she could be herself again. After calling it off with Ron and her pregnancy becoming public, she was Rita Skeeter's favorite gossip topic. Hermione could not stand being looked at the way that they saw her. Really, she did not mean to do anything wrong. She didn't know that she was expecting until after she had left Ron. A drunk, he had never been good to her. Hermione couldn't stand to let Molly down, but a long conversation with Ginny helped her make up her mind. There was no way that she was going through the rest of her life with that bastard.

Hermione's hand flew to her stomach when she felt sudden movement. "Ginny!" she yelled, causing the redhead to run, nearly trip around the corner, and skid to a stop in front of her brunette friend. "He's kicking," Hermione whispered and pulled Ginny's hand to her slightly swollen belly. Hermione had just moved to her new flat in London, and Ginny was helping her move in. Her expertise on aesthetics and design compelled Hermione to enlist her help in designing her baby's new home. Later that day, she had an appointment with the doctor to determine the gender, growth and overall wellbeing of her child. Honestly, Hermione could not wait for this baby to arrive.

* * *

A while later, two young women entered the Doctor's office. Through Ginny's excessive protesting, Hermione had stuck like super glue to her decision to continue her visits to the normal clinic in London. She simply couldn't risk anyone seeing her, even professionals; her reputation was already tarnished enough. Throughout the visit, Ginny was fascinated by all of the technology and Hermione was constantly dragging her away to avoid excessive attention towards them. The Weasley was enthralled by the way that Hermione calmly conversed with her doctor. Finally, the time came. "Are you ready to know the sex of your baby?" the nurse asked excitedly. Hermione nodded quickly and Ginny squealed and ran to Hermione's side. Preparations were made, and finally there was an image on the screen. The image moved around and finally came to a stop. Ginny craned her neck and could see a face clearly. A little, turned-up nose and thin lips fit perfectly into a round face with a visible bone structure underneath. Ginny's heart melted. The nurse turned the screen and Hermione gasped at the view of her child. "As you can see here" the nurse pointed with her finger, "you are going to be blessed with a beautiful baby girl, congratulations." She smiled and printed out an ultrasound photograph. Ginny was about to say something about the picture's lack of movement when Hermione shot her a death glare that could silence anyone for weeks. Luckily, she got the hint.

The girls walked back to Hermione's flat, conversing and giggling the whole way. Ginny asked many questions about the technology and even more about how it felt to be pregnant. Hermione gushed on the joy of actually creating something living. It felt like magic, inflating her heart so much that it jumped into her throat whenever she thought of her child. When she thought of her daughter. Her absolutely perfect daughter. She may be biased, but her daughter was the most beautiful girl that she had ever seen. And she hadn't even seen her yet. At her flat, she pulled out the picture and pinned it to the empty cork board. Hermione pictured the board filled with all of her accomplishments. First Words, First Steps, First Day of School, all of the 'firsts' that Hermione couldn't wait to see.

"What say we go to my place?" Ginny asked after few minutes of Hermione's silent staring. "Supper should be ready by now and I'm sure that Harry would be delighted to see you. He needs to hear the big news!"

"Well, I suppose." Hermione sighed softly.

* * *

Harry hummed softly as he made a light soup. He heard the door open. "Welcome home, dearest." He called out.

"Hello!" Ginny smiled at Hermione over her shoulder and motioned for her to stay put. "Do you think that there's enough food for three?" She asked her husband casually as she strolled into the kitchen.

"What?" Harry nearly dropped the bowls that he was holding. "What do you mean? Are you…" his eyebrows raised high enough to touch his hairline. Ginny giggled hysterically and Hermione inched around the corner. Harry let out a large sigh of relief and chuckled nervously.

"Hi, Harry." Hermione covered her mouth and giggled with Ginny.

"Hermione! You look great! How've things been since you moved?"

"Well, considering that I just moved in less than a week ago, I'd say under furnished." Hermione smiled. "Though Ginny has been helping me a lot."

"Thanks to my help, she now has a picture perfect, and baby ready, home!" Ginny flipped her hair over her shoulder and went to put her arm around Harry's shoulders, kissing his cheek.

"How far along are you again? Sorry to keep asking, but I just can't keep track!" Harry asked with a crooked smile in Hermione's direction.

"About six months, she's doing very well." Hermione rubbed her growing belly with a big, proud smile on her face.

"Oh, it's a girl? Have you thought of names yet?"

Hermione sat down on the loveseat and looked up at the ceiling. "Well, I've really been leaning toward Leslie. I really like the name and it does mean joy, which is what I feel when I think of her. I am still brainstorming middle names. I have ruled out most names starting with a vowel because of what that would make her initials be. I would love to avoid things like LAG, LEG, LOG and LUG. Though I might settle for an O middle name because I like them all. I am somewhat leaning toward Dorinda, which means talented, or something Greek. Other names that have stuck out are Rei, Day, and a lot of others but most end in a vowel sound. You guys have any ideas?" She smiled and took a deep breath after her longwinded speech.

"Nope." Harry answered definitively.

At the same time, Ginny mumbled "well…" All attention turned to the girl as she smiled nervously. "I did have one idea…."

* * *

Later, after hours of chatting, Hermione had practically fallen asleep on Harry's couch.

"Why don't you just stay here tonight," Ginny offered, grabbing Hermione's hand.

"Are-are you sure? I wouldn't want to be a bother." Hermione slurred through her words and her eyelids drooped. Ginny lead her to the guest bedroom and Hermione was asleep before her head hit the pillow.

She dreamt of her daughter.

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 ** _A/N:_** ** _Yay! What did you think? I decided to change her middle name because my resources last time were off and Melinda means darkness. Oops! If you guys have any ideas for the future of the story or feedback, please don't hesitate to leave a review. I would be MORE than happy to honor every single request that any of you have. Thanks for reading and stay tuned, if you want! See you the first! (Wait for it….) The first chance!_**

 ** _P.S. Sorry that's my dad's joke but it just sort of fit and I'm weird anyway so deal with it._**


	2. Altered Plans

**_A/N: Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!_**

Hermione smiled down at her large stomach, feeling movement from within. She was so happy that her throat felt blocked. For the last several weeks, Ginny had been over nearly every day. They never ran out of things to talk about. Hermione was finally settled in to her new place and the nursery was finally finished. The white crib sat along the wall across from the door, with its side along the wall to the left. A small white changing table was attached to the right side of the crib. The pads on both the bed and changing table were a floral pattern of red, pink and white. Along the right wall was a large wardrobe with six drawers on the bottom and closet doors on the top. Where the left wall met the wall that the door was on there was a sliding rocker with a small bookshelf on its left. The left wall had a pink stripe in the center with diamond flowers hanging in the pink and the grey walls were accented by the white flower mobile above the crib. On the far wall to the right of the changing table sat a small toy box. All of the furniture matched with the white wood and pink accent. Above the pink stripe on the left wall, in an elegant script, was the name _Leslie_ , as the name had already been decided upon. Ginny had really surprised Hermione with this perfect nursery.

Hermione sighed and left the nursery. She picked up her notebook with the list of potential employers on it. She planned to get a job a few months after the baby was born, just to give her something to do and accomplish. She didn't need money, being a war heroine had put enough money into her account at Gringotts and she had pulled out a good amount before running away. Her account at the muggle bank was still open from when she came back in the summers so she put her savings in there. Hermione frowned down at the list. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. She went to look through the peephole. Of course. There stood Ginny, smiling widely and bouncing up and down. Hermione smiled to herself and pulled open the door. Half a second later, Ginny had already pushed her way in.

"Guess what!" Ginny giggled and walked into the sitting room, plopping down on the couch.

Hermione sat down facing her and smiled, "What?"

"I _said_ guess!" Ginny frowned at the brunette's answer and grabbed her hands.

"Harry's been faking it this whole time and he was really just Ron pulling a prank on you."

"You're not even trying!"

"It was still a guess." She shrugged.

"I'm pregnant!" Ginny smiled and her mouth went from ear to ear.

Hermione sat silently and she felt her heart jump into her throat. "R-really?" she murmured. "Thats wonderful!"

"I am so excited! Our babies can play together, since they'll be less than a year apart and all. This will be absolutely amazing! I don't know much since I'm only about two months along." Ginny spoke so fast that it was hard for Hermione to keep up with her. "Also," Ginny pulled out a bag, "I brought some gifts!" She dumped out the bag onto the coffee table and started to grab items and show them to Hermione.

First, there was an adorable baby outfit with cargo pants, a matching shirt and bandana, and a cardigan. Next was a dress with a floral skirt. After, she pulled out a pink and white polka dotted sundress with a cute matching hat. There was also a set of animal themed onesies, and many other cute clothes for Leslie. There were several fleece button-up sleep and play one-pieces. Along with those, there were some overall sets and a small swimming suit with a matching cover-up. Many socks and booties were assorted among the clothes. There were burp cloths and a pacifier clip. An adorable hooded towel was one of the last things to be pulled out. Next there was a 4-piece outfit to take her home from the hospital in. The last item was a strawberry costume, for halloween, since Leslie was due in February she'd be old enough to go out.

"Oh Ginny, you went shopping again, didn't you?" Hermione hugged her friend and they went to the nursery to hang up the new clothes. This had to be the sixth time that Ginny had gone on a shopping spree for Leslie. The first time it was only gender neutral clothes, the second furniture, the third toys and necessities, the fourth and sixth were baby girl clothes and the fifth was clothes for when Leslie was older. Hermione didn't want to go out shopping anyway and Ginny enjoyed it.

"Anyway," Ginny began, hanging a shirt, "it was so hard to keep the news from you, but Harry made me to be sure. Honestly, we negotiated that I could tell you now. If I am doing my math correctly, they'll be 6 months apart…" Hermione tuned her out as she folded clothing to put into the drawers.

Hermione was about eight months along now, and she was more than ready to see her beautiful baby girl after only six months of knowing that she was expecting. It seemed like these past 8 months had flown and she was to the point where she's so done with it all. She loved being pregnant, really she did, but these past 2 or 3 months had really given her a headache. Actually, more than just a headache. Her back hurt, her feet were swollen, she couldn't breathe, she felt as big as a house. And while she knew it was all part of late pregnancy and the joy of it all, she was ready to just have her little Leslie in her arms. She felt part celebrity with all the attention and coddling, part expert from all the classes and preparations she'd done, part vegetable with the pregnancy brain, and part feeding trough to the CEO hanging out in her uterus.

As she fantasized about her beautiful baby girl seeing the world for the first time, she felt a strange feeling. It was like a cramp, but a bit worse and there was no way that she could even be on her period anyway so it just made no sense. Since it wasn't extreme, she continued to fold the clothes before she and Ginny went back into the sitting room to chat. A little over an hour later, she felt it again. Hermione continued to feel this strange feeling throughout their very long conversation.

"I want to go shopping when Leslie grows out of her bed so that we can completely re-do her room!" Ginny was practically bursting with excitement.

"I wish that you wouldn't spend all of this money on me! I don't feel very comfortable with it."

"Oh okay, so you don't like any of my gifts now? I can take them all back if you'd like."

"No that's not what I meant at all, I-"

"It sure sounded like that was what you meant. I don't know why I can't simply go shopping without you getting your knickers in a twist about it!"

"Ginny, you're overreacting about this." Hermione had had this conversation with Ginny many times, but it had never gone in this direction.

"I am _NOT_ overreacting about anything, Hermione!"

"Please stop yelling, I-" Suddenly, she felt a slight popping sensation and a light trickle of water. Her mind automatically connected the strange cramps together as contractions.

Ginny's entire demeanor changed in a split second. "Is it-?"

"Ginny, it's time." Hermione whispered and Ginny stood to take her to the hospital.

 ** _A/N: Sorry for that cliffhanger! Don't forget to leave a review! I'll see you guys the first!_**


	3. Surprises are the Keys to Mystery

**_A/N: All right, I changed one thing in the last chapter, the due date because I wasn't thinking before and I had it all wrong. Haha. #justcuziminalgebra2doesntmakemegoodataddition. Without further ado, chapter 3. Enjoy!_**

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A man sat behind his desk, wear and exhaustion covering his face. He had barely gotten any sleep in over a year. He rose to take another look at the tree connecting him to his vile father. The same father who ruined his life, and his mother's, would always be connected to him by blood. In his mind, his blood was worthless; the equivalent of mud running through his veins. Suddenly, his mind turned around to a completely different direction. The man thought of holding a baby, _his_ baby. He imagined hugging the mother of his child, watching their little one run through the park.

A new portrait had appeared on the family tapestry.

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After 9 hours of labor, plus 30 minutes of waiting time after, Hermione was finally holding her precious baby girl. Born at 33 weeks and 5 days gestation, Leslie was considered slightly premature. She only needed a C-PAP machine for a little while but she could eat on her own and keep her own body heat. Weighing 1633 grams (6 pounds, 10 ounces) and measuring 43.7 cm (17.2 inches) she was very underweight. It was conveniently the middle of winter, since Hermione needed to keep Leslie in warmer, more insulated clothes for the first month or so while she put on some weight. It was just after 8 in the morning on Friday, January 15th. Hermione had sent Ginny off to get Harry and print at least one birth announcement for Hermione to put on her bulletin board. Finally, Ginny returned and Hermione saw the announcement.

 **Welcome**

 **Leslie Rane**

 **Born on**

 **January 15th, 1999**

 **6 Pounds**

 **10 Ounces**

 **17 Inches long**

 **With love**

 **Hermione Granger**

Harry looked carefully at Leslie. "Wow, look at those eyes! Where does that kind of color come from?" Ginny leaned in to get a closer look.

"He's right, 'Mione. That's a pretty remarkable color."

"I guess, I just didn't think about it." Leslie's eyes were a bright blue-grey color that contrasted her pale skin. Hermione had known instantly that Leslie wouldn't have her hair color, she guessed something more like her father's lighter brown color. Or maybe a strawberry blonde since Ron had red hair.

A few days later, Hermione was finally taking Leslie home. One more shopping spree was deemed necessary by Ginny since none of the other clothes would fit. Hermione persuaded her to keep it small since they wouldn't be going anywhere anyway, and she'd probably grow fast too. So, Leslie was wearing a small, breathable gown and swaddled in a baby blanket. Hermione refused to get home by any other method than driving, so she drove and had Ginny hold Leslie in the backseat. Harry sat beside Ginny and he seemed completely unable of pulling his eyes away from Leslie. His wife was also looking at her, but with less intensity and more love.

At Hermione's flat, Harry spoke for the first time in days. "Not to burst your bubble, but you know who she looks a lot like?"

"Who?" Ginny asked. "Her mum?" Leslie cooed as Ginny tickled her chest.

"No," Harry hesitated, "Malfoy."

Hermione dropped the pin she was hanging the birth announcement with and froze. Ginny called her name and Harry went to get her out of her haze, but her eyes were glazed over. Finally, she came to from whatever she was thinking of. "T-that's simply impossible. He is a pureblooded wizard and Ron isn't _that_ closely related to him. I think that you're having s-some k-kind of hallucination or mis-reading her face, or-or s-something like that."

"Uh, Harry, could you go home and start getting supper ready?" Ginny asked and shot him a special look, the kind that told Harry to get out if he wanted to keep his legs. As Harry left, Ginny and Hermione went to put Leslie to sleep. "Now, spill."

"Spill what? There's nothing to tell!" Hermione avoided all eye contact with Ginny and all color drained from her face.

"Uh-huh, sure. You are still the worst lier that I have ever met, or even heard of! I _know_ there's something that you aren't telling, and it's going to come out now. Now, what's this about Malfoy?" Ginny pulled Hermione into the sitting room as she spoke.

"Fine." Hermione sighed. "There was one night, with _him_ , after the war. The day after, at the party that we had to celebrate our victory. One thing lead to another, and we ended up…" She put her face into her hands as tears filled her eyes. "I am so ashamed," she admitted. "I guess I had a few too many drinks. I doubt he even remembers it. This wasn't supposed to happen. The likelihood of this was just so low anyway, I wasn't thinking when it happened."

"You need to tell him! _Now_!" Hermione started to protest but Ginny cut her off. "I don't care what you say, he needs to know. If anyone goes near that family tapestry they will definitely see the new portrait _and_ the last name."

"I can't do it, Ginny. You _know_ I can't do that." Hermione sobbed. Ginny's comforting arm around her shoulder helped her to calm down.

Within an hour, Hermione was calmed down and had sent Ginny home with instructions to get her rest and come back in the morning. She went into Leslie's nursery and bent down to kiss her forehead. The baby girl opened her eyes slowly and gazed at her mother. There was no use denying it, she was practically his doppelgänger. Two years ago, Hermione would have attacked anyone that said this would happen. Two years ago, his face and voice filled her heart with ice and hatred. Now, she thought of him and it thawed her heart, he had changed so much. But his face on her beautiful daughter, that filled her with joy. So much joy that it seemed impossible that anyone could love this much. Unable to pull herself from her beautiful offspring, Hermione sat on the rocking chair in the corner and drifted off with grey dragons filling her dreams.

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 ** _A/N: Thanks for reading! Sorry I haven't uploaded, school just started and I actually completely forgot about this. I'm great. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed it! Stay tuned and, as always, follow, favorite, and leave a review!_**


	4. Return of the Dragon

_**A/N** **: Hey guys! School has started and I am WAYYYYYYY busy with all kinds of stuff. I meant to upload this before but I had an awful case of writer's block! Anyway, this update is over 2000 words for you guys and I am very excited for you to read it!**_

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He stepped into the cafe, a simple muggle cafe. There was no way that he would risk his usual cafe, he hadn't been there in years. No, instead he dropped into one small business after another, never going to the same one twice. The man went to the counter, ordered his usual black coffee, and waited. He received his drink and made his was to an empty table in the corner. Suddenly, he felt eyes on him. He whipped his head around, looking left and right for whoever was staring.

It was her. It was the girl in the portrait. His jaw fell, his eyes wide open, his body limp. This was the most beautiful baby girl that he had ever seen. It was his baby girl. He stood slowly, his eyes intently studying her. A movement in his peripheral vision attracted his attention to the girl's mother. A slim, petite woman with chocolate brown hair that curled wildly. His mind sparked immediately. He _knew_ that hair.

* * *

Hermione sat in her favorite cafe, reading the daily post. She held her two and a half week old daughter in one arm, sipping her coffee with the other. The usual din of conversation and footsteps no longer bothered her, but a particular set of footsteps stood out from the others. These steps were slow and heavy, yet somehow still very cautious. She turned her head and found herself face to face with the one person she did not want to see under any circumstances, she would honestly rather face Ron. Those eyes were so beautiful, they made her heart melt. But Hermione came to her senses quickly enough, looking quickly and frantically around herself for an exit. She stood quickly, hoping to leave before he could make his way to her, but as she stood he had made his way to be directly in front of her.

"Hermione," his tone was soft, and his hand instinctively reached out to touch her cheek. She pulled away.

"Malfoy," her voice shook, "what brings you here?" She casually adjusted Leslie to be turned away from him, hiding her face.

"I just came for a coffee, fancy seeing you here." He smiled genuinely at her. "May I please see your baby?"

"Uh, yes." Hermione turned Leslie back toward him and he smiled at her.

"So," Draco began. He had decided to feign ignorance to Leslie's patronage. "How is Ron?"

"Well, we actually aren't together anymore. I haven't seen him in almost 11 months."

"Ah, well. How old is this cutie pie here?" He gestured to Leslie casually.

"She's almost three weeks. A preemie though," Hermione sighed and smiled. "Listen, I have to go. But it was really nice to see you again." She made her way out of the door and turned into the nearby alleyway, leaning against the building in relief. Her breaths echoed against the dirty brick walls.

"Okay, enough bullshit Granger." The voice came from the entrance of the alley. She froze.

Hermione didn't dare to look up, toward the entrance to the alleyway. She knew _exactly_ who was speaking to her.

"You may be able to hide from me, but you can't hide from the truth. Others may fall for this crap, but the world knows the truth. Don't think I haven't seen the tapestry." His voice was sharp and harsh, his footsteps echoing as he moved closer to her.

Suddenly, Hermione remembered that all pureblood families had a tapestry. Of course. She felt him hovering over her, and she lifted her head. There he was. All of his beauty stood before her. No, she had to stop this. She shook the thoughts of him out of her head.

"Let me see her."

"Excuse me?" Hermione was shocked. He thinks he can be a tool to her for seven years, then disappear, and suddenly reappear demanding to hold _her_ baby.

"Let me see my baby girl," he sounded like he was beginning to whine. Hermione shook her head no. "Please, Hermione, please just…"

"Okay, Malfoy. You may see her." Hermione was relieved to not have to hold Leslie back anymore. She watched Leslie reach toward him, and she saw her smile. This broke her heart.

"She-" he stopped and swallowed, "she's so perfect. And you say she's almost three weeks?" Hermione nodded in response to his question. The man in front of her turned his attention to Leslie. Before he could say anything, Hermione pulled her back.

"Look, Malfoy, I can't do this." He opened his mouth to answer but she gestured him silent. "I can't sit here and have you waltz back into my life, into my daughter's life, like nothing has happened. You shouldn't have found us ever, it would have been so much better. But I can't trust you. Not with her. I would trust you with many things, don't get me wrong, you are a very nice man. Leslie means everything to me and she is all that I have. Sure, Ginny and Harry are there for me, but they're going to have their own child soon. Don't even get me started on Ron, he would jump at any chance to kill me, especially if he ever actually sees Leslie. My parents are still down in Australia, there are just too many issues with trying to pull them back into their old lives. I just can't give you my daughter."

"She's my daughter too, Granger!" He took a step toward her and she was against the wall.

"Please, can't we discuss this at my flat? Not in public please." Hermione closed her eyes.

"No," her eyes snapped open when he firmly grasped her free hand. "We're going to the manor." And before she could protest, he had apparated them there.

* * *

Hermione was sitting on an elegant love seat. She looked around the extravagantly decorated foyer. The walls were a shimmering grey, with dark mahogany trim. The love seat and chair across from it had emerald green fabric and legs that matched the trim of the walls. She sighed heavily and continued to wait for the homeowners to enter the room. A few minutes ago, Draco Malfoy had led her here and told her to stay put before leaving to get his mother. Imagine that, the Gryffindor Princess casually sitting in the Malfoy foyer holding the child of the Slytherin Prince. If his father were still alive, Draco would have hell to pay for this. Hermione couldn't help but think about the memories she had of Draco. All of the teasing, name calling, and embarrassment were trumped by the kindness he had shown her for just a few days. His sweet words, his warm tone, his beautiful eyes. She did remember that night, and she didn't want to forget it. His motions toward her made her feel like the most important person in the universe.

Her thoughts were halted by the sound of footsteps coming around the corner. She stood and adjusted herself as the Malfoy family entered the room. The mood of the room lightened as soon as Narcissa saw Leslie. Hermione could see the look of pure adoration in her eyes, and she knew then that she couldn't remove Leslie from the Malfoy's lives. It wouldn't be right.

"Hermione, darling!" Narcissa darted over to Hermione and hugged her tightly, catching Hermione off guard. "You look stunning, time has been good to you."

"It is great to see you again, Mrs. Malfoy. Now, to get straight to the point, what exactly has your son told you?" Hermione shot a look over at Draco, and he was giving her the same look behind his mother's back.

"Not much, he just now came into my study and informed me of this situation." Narcissa sighed and glanced back at her son. "Please, Hermione, sit down." She gestured to the love seat and sat down across from her. This forced Draco to sit beside Hermione.

"Well, mother, what's your plan?" Draco snapped at his mother, glaring at Hermione as he did so. At that point, Leslie woke from the light sleep she was in and sighed, bringing her father's eyes to her. He melted immediately, love filled his being, and he instinctively reached for her. Hermione noticed this, however, and pulled her daughter away.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. For one thing, our family has enough shame thanks to your father. I don't think that an illegitimate child will help that. Now, I'm not saying that you need to get married, or even need to live together, but I don't want there to be a big custody battle. My suggestion is that Draco take Leslie for a while to see how they react to each other."

"No, absolutely not!" Hermione protested immediately.

"Why can't I see my daughter?" Draco almost shouted at her. His minty breath overwhelmed her for a few moments, but she regained composure quickly.

"It's not that, I just don't want my three week old daughter being away from me! Merlin, she's not even weaned yet! Either you stay with us, or you won't spend much time with her for a while." Hermione instinctively pulled Leslie close to her chest.

"Fine! I'll stay with you for a week, two at most!" Draco got up and stomped out of the room. Hermione stared after him in disbelief.

"Well, I guess that's all settled then." Narcissa stood and gestured to Leslie, which Hermione consented to. While Narcissa held her granddaughter, Hermione went to find Draco.

She walked up the elegant stairs and through the elegant halls until she found the correct door. She knocked lightly and was met with shouts.

"Mother, I will be out in a minute! I am just packing a small bag to hold me over while I'm practically in hell with Granger." He was flying around his room, tossing various items of clothing into his bag.

"Malfoy, it's me," Hermione pushed the door open. "Can we talk for a minute?" She shut the door behind herself. He whipped around, his grey eyes widening with surprise, narrowing with anger, and finally settling on an indifferent look. He was feigning disinterest, she could read him like a book. Honestly, when she stopped to think about it, he had always been easy to read.

"What do _you_ want, Granger?" The blonde spit her name from his mouth as if it were poison. How could this be the same man that she had spent a glorious night with less than a year ago? Then it hit her, _it wasn't_. That Draco had just been a result of the alcohol. He didn't really care, he probably didn't care about Leslie either. This realization pounded her like a ton of bricks, she took a step back and fell against the wall.

"You heartless prick!" Hermione shouted as loud as she could through her tears that had started before she hit the wall. "You don't care at all! Here I am thinking you may have actually cared about me, or even Leslie, but you're still the same man you always were. Don't try to hide it Draco Malfoy, you are just like your father!" She hit him where she knew it would hurt. She didn't even know why she was being so cruel, but she was shouting these horrible words at him. He tried to take a step toward her but she pushed him away.

"What are you talking about, Granger? Of course I care! Leslie is my _daughter_ for Merlin's sake, of course I love her. She is as much a part of me as she is a part of you, so stop acting like the victim in this whole situation." Draco pushed his way through the door with his bag on his shoulder.

"Fuck you, Malfoy!" Hermione couldn't stop the tears from freely flowing.

"Looks like you already did."

She felt like a child. Here she sat, shouting insults as she cried uncontrollably. Her hands were trembling with anger and devastation. He may love Leslie, but she was certain he had used her. Now he had his heir, someone to carry on the bloodline, and all it took from him was a one night stand. Hermione had to deal with carrying the child, birthing the child, and supporting the child. Draco could just drop in whenever he wanted now but they both knew that she would never give him even partial custody. The thought of _her_ baby girl in that wanker's arms sickened her to the point of violence. And now he was going to stay with her! Her apartment didn't have a guest room, and the largest couch was a love seat. He was going to have to sleep on the floor of the family room. There was no way he was going to sleep in Leslie's room, and Hermione couldn't even imagine him sharing a bed with her. Sure, she had a double bed, but he was the man that had shattered her dreams of returning to school and becoming a very successful witch at a young age by infecting her with his DNA. He should have to pay for this, not just slide through life enjoying the positives of their connection. Hermione had now made up her mind. Yes, he would stay with her, but it would be hell on earth for him. She would make sure of that.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ _ **: Well, what do you think? As always, leave reviews with your reactions and let me know of any ideas you have for the story! I am always down for criticism and ideas so just let me know. I'll update soon, I promise.**_


	5. The Line Between Love and Hate

**_A/N_** ** _: Alright, here it is. There is some different content in this chapter, let me know if you like it. I got some great reviews on last chapter and, let me say, I was in school when I got one of them and I couldn't stop laughing, just like the person who sent in the review! ANYway, enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!_**

* * *

Many weeks had passed since Draco moved into Hermione's flat, Leslie was almost two months old. In general, the tension had eased a bit. However, when any hint of a tender subject came up, there was another shouting match followed by slamming doors and silence for hours. Despite all of this, Leslie was still one of the happiest babies anyone had ever seen. On a few occasions, Hermione had taken Leslie to Ginny so that she could speak to Draco, but it always ended badly so she stopped that quickly. Having Leslie around somehow softened Draco just enough for him to pierce Hermione with fewer vulgarities.

"Granger, how much longer are you going to be ignoring me for?" Draco had appeared in the doorway to Leslie's room, he leaned against the doorframe casually.

"What are you doing in here?" Hermione scrambled to cover herself up, Draco knew not to come in when she was breastfeeding Leslie.

"Please, Granger. It's not like I haven't seen it before." The wizard rolled his eyes and chuckled slightly, flashing his signature smirk at her.

"It still makes me very uncomfortable." Hermione narrowed her eyes at him as she stood to put Leslie into her crib. "What are you here for?" She crossed her arms across her chest, taking a step toward the man sharing her living quarters.

"Very funny, I asked you first." Draco crossed his arms as well, remaining in his relaxed pose in the doorway.

"I'm talking to you now, I can't possibly be ignoring you. Can I?" The witch batted her thick eyelashes and viewed him through them. Her pink lips formed a pout as she taunted him.

"Well, aren't we a barrel of laughs today Granger." His eyes rolled so heavily they may as well have stayed back in his head. "May I remind you that, while you have a sharp tongue, that does not mean that you have a keen mind."

"Shut up, Malfoy. I didn't ask to have you here!"

"That there is what I'm talking about. I suppose ignoring _me_ is not the correct wording, ignoring this situation is probably better. Half the time, it's as if I don't even live here." His voice raised as he began to mock her. "'Oh, Ginny, I'm so lonely here. There's nothing to do while Leslie naps. I wish you could come over here.' You're full of bullshit, Granger. You know that?"

"Oh, wow. In order to make more brilliant observations, you'd have to grasp your ears firmly and pull; you just might be able to remove your head from your ass."

"Why are you so rude to me, I've been nothing but nice to you this whole time!"

"Nice? So you've been nice? Listen up you money-grubbing, grandiose, mirror-obsessed, bum-licking jerk-off, I envy those who get to see you when you're being cruel. And you were the answer to a prayer! Your parents prayed for the world to suffer, and you came along. Are you fed up yet? I could keep this up all day! And I used to think that you were a colossal pain in the neck, but now I've realized that my opinion of you is much lower! I don't know who you think you are, Malfoy, but you should think again. You're not as great as you think you are!" Draco opened his mouth to speak, but he didn't have words. Hermione had stepped toward him with every cutting remark, leaving him now against the opposite wall of the hallway. She now stood in the doorframe, and she softly closed the door behind herself. "My feelings for you are so strong, I can't even wrap words around them. I don't just hate you, nor do I loathe you. I absolutely abhor you. You make me sick, Malfoy. I wish I had never gotten caught up with you!"

This pushed him over the edge. "Okay, it's my turn. I didn't ask to get involved with a pseudo-intellectual floozy, but it looks like I did anyway. What I did to deserve the wrath of you, an egotistical tart, definitely wasn't worth it. So you can go ahead and shove it!" Draco stepped intimidatingly toward her, but she held her ground. There they were, fractions of an inch away from each other. Her head tilted up dramatically to be able to meet his angry gaze. Their heavy breathing was the only sound as the tension batted between them. The instincts finally took over in both of them, turning the intensity around in a different direction entirely.

Hermione brushed his hair with her fingers, her nails running against his scalp. They pressed against each other, removing any possible pocket of air between them. The difference in height was compensated for with standing on toes and bending down. Hermione's back arched to meet his body's curve. She pulled herself as close to him as she could, but it wasn't close enough. Luckily, he needed this contact as much as she needed it. He guided her back against the wall and pressed against her. His rough calluses ran against her thighs, making his way to her back. Suddenly, his hands wrapped around her thighs and hitched her up to his level. She remained pushed against the wall, wrapping her legs around his waist. They lost themselves, both in the moment and in each other.

These feelings were alien to her, she no longer felt mad. Her anger had turned into desire within a split second, leaving no room for rational decisions. This felt right, like she was meant to be here. Yes, the Draco she had seen before was a result of the alcohol. Only this Draco was better. More coherent, his gentle touch sent chills running down her spine. Perhaps non-alcoholic Draco was the way to go, at least it was for her. He hadn't made her feel like the most important person in the universe, he had just made her feel important. Now his gentle motions and amorous kissing made her feel like a goddess. A goddess that he worshipped. A strong hand pulled her hands from the soft hair she was caressing and put them above her head. His other hand dropped her legs and she put her legs down to have some way of supporting herself. Pulling back from the passionate kiss, she dragged her eyes open to find herself drowned in pools of grey water. Stormy swirling waters, yet she wasn't afraid of the emotion in his eyes. Draco removed his grip from her hands and softly ran his fingers along her arm. He stopped once he reached her shoulders. His head dropped to her collarbone, placing soft kisses on her warm skin. His kisses trailed up her neck and along her jaw before he harshly took her lips again.

Hermione was reminded why she had hooked up with him in the first place, ten months ago. It was this tender side of him that nobody ever saw. Though he was tender, the kiss was still rough and intense. It was as if all of the tension between them from the past few weeks flew out through this kiss. Not only was there sexual tension between them, but within them as well. Neither had had sex since that night in May, after the war was finally over. Draco, as the Slytherin Sex God, was particularly affected by this lack of relief. This only created more lust for both. She found her hands to be untucking his shirt from his pants, and she began to fumble with the buttons. Her partner lowered one hand from behind her head to assist her in getting him out of his shirt. Hermione pushed the shirt off of the blonde's shoulders, pushing him back as she did so. His eyes opened to look at her as she seductively raised one eyebrow and flung his shirt to the side, adopting a smirk only to be rivaled by his own.

"You'll have to pay for my dry cleaning, Granger. My shirts are very expensive, you know." The man standing in front of her was a human adonis. She ran her eyes over his sculpted torso, biting her lip as she drank in the view. Could she actually have feelings for Draco, and vice versa? Now that nobody was under the influence of alcohol, he was so genuinely passionate. She raised her amber eyes to beautiful grey ones, smiling a shy smile at the man in front of her. His deep growl from within his chest was a sign that he truly wanted her. He nearly hurled himself at her as he wrapped his hands around her waist. Both were filled to the brim with lust, arousal spreading through their bodies. Draco's strong hands began to push Hermione's shirt up her stomach, her warm skin making contact with his cool hands. She shivered.

A piercing cry broke Hermione out of her trance. Her eyes snapped open and she tried her best to pull away, but Draco's strong arms wrapped around her and kept her in place. "Draco," she spoke urgently against his lips. "Draco!" Hermione gathered all of her strength and pushed Draco away. It honestly had no effect on him, but he loosened his embrace enough to let her speak. "I need to go get Leslie." She began to squirm out of his arms.

"No," he lightly pressed his lips to hers. "I lost you once, I'm not planning on doing it again." Draco murmured into her mouth.

"Please, Draco. She needs me." Hermione was finally able to escape from his grasp, leaving him to sort himself out. She quickly rushed into her daughter's room, nearly slamming the door behind herself. She closed her brown eyes, sighing heavily to shake her inappropriate fantasies from her mind. Leslie's crying penetrated her shame, bringing her alert once more. Hermione rushed over to grab Leslie, rocking her lightly before setting her on the changing table. As she cleaned up her daughter, Hermione reminisced on the events of a few minutes ago. Though the kiss had lasted a couple minutes at most, it felt like an eternity. One blissful eternity.

How could she feel this way? Hermione knew good and well that Draco was no good; for her or for Leslie. Yes, he was her father, but he couldn't stay here any longer. How could Hermione possibly focus on her daughter with this sculpted god in her home. She picked Leslie up again and straightened out her shirt before slowly and cautiously opening the door. Looking to the left and to the right revealed that Draco wasn't in her line of vision. She walked out to the sitting area, which was vacant as well. In fact, Draco didn't seem to be anywhere in her flat. _Just as well_ , she thought, _I need to clear my mind anyway_.

* * *

After an amazing day spent with her daughter, Hermione was finally winding down. She stood in front of the sink in the small bathroom. She had already taken a shower and brushed her teeth. All that was left was to wash her face. Even though she was a witch and could use spells for this, she preferred to maintain her hygiene manually. There was something special about a shower after a long day. Hermione bent to the running water to rinse her face, tightly closing her eyes as she did so. Raising her head, she fetched the washcloth on the counter to pat her face dry. She smiled and opened her eyes when she was done. A very surprised gasp was the only sound in the room as their eyes met in the mirror. He was back.

"Granger," Draco spoke shortly, his lips pursed.

"W-what are you doing here, Draco?" Hermione was truly stunned. She could barely gather her thoughts, let alone formulate words or synthesize sentences.

"I've been staying here for weeks now, Granger." He glared at her in the mirror before shifting his gaze to the back of her head. His pale hand drifted to her ponytail that restrained her wild locks. Softly running his long fingers over it, he pulled the hair tie out of her hair to release it. He was so close to her, she could feel the heat radiating from him. It was all too much. The feelings in her gut were conflicting, one telling her to get as close as possible and the other telling her to run.

"Please, stop." Hermione quickly spun around, pushing herself against the counter to get away from him. "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can. I know you want it, just give in." He gazed down at her, his thick lashes partially covering his beautiful grey pools.

"No, I really don't want it. I don't want to do this, Draco."

He took a step toward her. "I said you weren't going to get away from me again, I meant it."

"I c-can't." Hermione pushed past him to get out into the hall. Walking to her door, he grabbed her wrist.

"Please, don't go." The look that those beautiful steel eyes gave her was enough to make her give in on the spot. But it was a horrible decision and she knew it.

"I'm truly sorry, Draco. Forgive me." She pulled her arm away and entered her room, quickly closing the door. Hermione leaned against it and put her face into her hands. She could hear Draco talking at her through the door, and she could tell that he would've yelled had Leslie not been within earshot. He lightly hit the door with his hand a few times before turning and sliding down the door. Hermione turned and did the same. Their backs would be touching had the door not been there. Draco had his legs stretched out, and he looked hopelessly at the ceiling. Hermione, however, was curled up into a ball, tears pouring from her eyes. She felt awful for rejecting him so harshly. Draco heard her tears and shed one of his own, knowing that his love was only inches away from him yet he couldn't get to her for comfort.

Both felt more alone than ever.

* * *

 _ **A/N**_ _ **: Well, what do you think? Let me know if you want more romantic stuff or less. This will really help me post longer, more detailed chapters if you do like it, but if not then I can adapt my style to fit that and hopefully still get a lot into each update. I plan on updating at least one more time this week. I have a lot of inspiration for romance right now, I am in love 3. Have a great week and, as always, leave your reviews with feedback for me. Or just simply a note saying that you liked it. It all means a lot to me! Bye!**_


	6. Could It Be Real?

p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="09c653505b609628481023b16ca3a6de"Hermione's eyes fluttered open, sunlight streaming through the window. She stretched, her back, and various other joints, cracking. She sat on the floor, leaning against her door. Her memory caught up and she remembered what had happened the evening before. She stood slowly, her body sore from her strange sleeping position. It was very quiet in her flat this morning. Too quiet./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f25c062c5554da1d8f6f2d227d4e59fc""Leslie?" Hermione opened her door and ran to her daughter's room. She burst through the door to see Draco in the rocking chair with Leslie./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="272281f0675b29895a30b0decac971e5""I figured you needed your rest, so I took care of her through the night." He slightly looked up at her through his thick lashes, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, as if it was his job. Was it his job? Hermione couldn't figure out why, but it felt right. Seeing her baby girl in his arms was like an ethereal vision. Like something straight out of a dream. Almost like something that she didn't deserve. Did she deserve it? After how horribly she had treated the father of her child when he wanted to help, how selfishly she kept her daughter — no, their daughter — to herself with no thought of his feelings. This was too much. What had possessed him to stay with them? A gift that she didn't deserve sat in front of her face, taunting her heart to the breaking point./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="740dd66224b66a3a6224d11a7b5fc342"Draco heard a heart-wrenching sob, lifting his head to see the mother of his child spin around and disappear. He didn't catch a glimpse of her eyes but he knew that there were tears spilling over onto her pink cheeks. As much as she had been mean to him, he didn't want to see her hurting. Her warm brown eyes held so much emotion and, whether good or bad, they transferred the feelings on to him. The child in his arms stirred and he gazed down at his daughter. Hermione's daughter. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Their/em daughter. Together they had created this beautiful being from nothing. One night of passion, a night of mistakes, a night of no decisions. At least there were no decisions on her part, no doubt she was drunk. Draco could still remember that entire night clearly. He had wanted her then and he wanted her now./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="eec0acd8fd22d15b13a532ce1198a149"Everything about her made Draco melt. Every sweet smile, the way her eyes lit up, her wild hair. He couldn't resist her. He loved every little thing that she did, how she looked, the way that she talked, her bravery, her intelligence. Suddenly, Draco realized. He loved her. He loved Hermione Granger. There was no denying it now. Now that he had come to this revelation, he didn't know what to do about it. There was nothing to do but keep it to himself. Surely she didn't love him, she couldn't. She had turned him down; she scowled at him all day and night. However, she had worked with him to provide the best for Leslie, their beautiful baby girl. That could just be a love for Leslie, but she could have the best without Draco moving in./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="4c806bece0b30fcd221c2b4f93652bf7"But her tears, Hermione's sobbing last night, and after every fight. The way that she looked at him while he held their daughter. These signs all lead towards her loving him, or having some positive feelings for him. His thoughts drifted through fantasies as his daughter fell asleep in his arms./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="7a423782c2581a5d8f3a358a6c993c42"For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Hermione sat in a pool of tears. She was once again leaning against the door to her room, holding it shut to hide herself from the outside world. All of the insults she had hurled at him ran through her head. He didn't deserve those titles, or that abuse. He was just a boy stuck in his father's dark shadow. Who was she to tell him who to be? Who was she to tell him who he was? Hermione tried to imagine Draco with a different personality, but she couldn't. It simply wouldn't be Draco. She didn't hate his arrogance, she admired his self-confidence. He was vulnerable, too vulnerable. His cool, tough exterior was not how he felt inside. Not after the horrible year he had endured when he was 16. Hermione didn't know enough about his childhood to judge his actions on that. In fact, he probably had a very good one./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="51616c8b3bc631e7a17bd081ed9af525"Hermione had seen this vulnerable side of him the other night, when he begged her not to leave. He had tried to be demanding, that much was obvious, but behind his eyes she could see his genuine need for comfort. He had come to her for that comfort, yet she denied him. Hermione sat up straight, her body determined but her mind confused. She stood and walked out of her bedroom to find Draco closing the door to Leslie's room./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="89c5a960e6980b3c6109d149aad45b35"Draco gasped and looked up at the woman standing in the hall. She looked at him, stared at him, gazed at him. He couldn't tell. Her eyes were determined, yet very soft and... loving. Suddenly, before he could react, she was wrapping her arms around him in a warm embrace. Without thinking, he immediately wrapped his arms around her body and held her tight./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="370df5d2e05fb67f2755fa34acc4c919""Draco I- I'm so sorry." Hermione was on the verge of tears. She pulled back, just enough to see his eyes. "You needed me and I wasn't there for you." Her arms were resting on his shoulders, and he held her waist. This position was a very intimate one, but neither seemed to be bothered. They were both content./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ec1c956e54d3d08fbb6b99a3c61e149c"Draco searched Hermione's eyes for a sign of humor, but there was none. She was serious. Her eyes were full of compassion and worry, kindness and caring, love and lust. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Merlin/em, he thought, em style="box-sizing: border-box;"I want her here and now/em. But no, he couldn't. As much as he needed her, and she needed him, he knew that it was wrong. He knew that she had been thinking and that she would regret anything that they did. He wouldn't, he never did. Draco didn't regret the night after the war, and he didn't regret begging for her last night. She was worth it. If he had to, he would walk across fire for her./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ca16e9c65ad27421008f45ff51779569""You look so confused, what's wrong?" Hermione's voice was laced with concern./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="72755bd2fb5f77b4d82d817a447fc4c9""I'm just thinking. About you, and us." He looked away, his face paler than normal. "I know that I've only been staying here for a short time, but..." he trailed off. Draco could see that Hermione was anticipating his next words, but something inside him held him back. "I just wanted to thank you for all that you've done for me. You took me into your home and you've made it seem like this is my home. I'm very grateful for that. It's the first time in my life that I've felt accepted, and welcomed, and... wanted."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="48f49ba1d02d89c0653b16be52d88cfd""Oh, Draco. You're a different person than you've ever been. Is this who you really are?" Hermione felt tears building up in her eyes. Draco didn't answer, nor did he move, but she could tell that he was confirming her suspicions. "I knew it, I could just tell, you aren't horrible." She threw her arms around his neck, reaching up on her toes to put her face in the curve of his shoulder. Her arms were tightly squeezing him, but he didn't care what pain she could potentially cause him. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="144d7cb32ec58e4607ccfa684f776d36"Hermione could only wonder what was bringing out his true self. Could it be Leslie? She thought of what had happened over the past few days. Could it be... her?/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8fedea56bcea4bcdc35b5e5f26a3fbea"These thoughts plagued Hermione for days, weeks even. She rolled them over in her mind through her daily activities. A routine had become set in stone since Draco came to stay with her and Leslie. He had gotten himself settled in a new job, finally escaping his yearlong depression, ready to face the world. He would get up early to go in to work, making sure that Leslie was taken care of for the morning. An hour or so later, Hermione would wake up and take care of Leslie for the day. The baby was making excellent progress; already she was sitting up on her own. Hermione could tell that she was going to be smart like both of her parents. She was nearly four months old./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="244fe9ce09f1f9aea4032f840bca02e2""Hermione?" Draco opened the door to her flat quietly after his day at work. He slowly closed the door behind himself; careful to not disturb her if she was sleeping. Behind his back he held a bouquet of orange roses. He walked into the kitchen and searched for a vase. He carefully put the flowers into a beautiful vase that was delicate yet strong, just like Hermione. Thinking of Hermione reminded him to check on Leslie./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="2459deb35cd5bc5760b42198ea3a8add"As always, Leslie was calmly resting in her crib. She was obviously napping, and so was Hermione, apparently. Draco moved to the master bedroom and poked his head through the door that was left slightly ajar. He saw Hermione, the love of his life, sleeping peacefully on the fully made bed. He walked over to her and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before leaving to continue with his plan. In the kitchen, he began to cook. Hermione cooked every night for them, and she always did it the Muggle way. She didn't like to use magic for everything, and she found cooking to be very enjoyable. So, to impress her, he had been learning to cook. He wanted to make a romantic dinner for her, and then he wanted to confess his feelings. He loved her. He truly did./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="709369fc876de77d973413ce7d1d0050"A while later, Draco stood proudly looking at the meal that he had created. His face was filled with a stupid, happy smile. Steam rose from the recently cooked meal, which was macaroni and cheese. He had chosen a fairly simple dish so that he wouldn't strain himself. He put some of the food on both plates, carried them to the table, filled two glasses of water, and took the flowers and their vase to the center of the table. It was later than dinner would usually be, so he had already fed Leslie her dinner and put her to bed. Hermione was obviously tired, since it was now 8 pm and she was still sleeping./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="37121e535077bf64eaec4ad743467395"Draco crept into the master bedroom to find that Hermione had just woken up. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Perfect, /emhe thought,em style="box-sizing: border-box;" this is perfect timing!/em/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="43ab4ead1edfbde323f05d7d79068424""D-Draco?" Hermione rubbed her eyes sleepily. "What are you doing in here?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9f515cc2ceb98d3f5cf3211bdd65fbba""I have something to show you," Draco said, barely containing his excitement. "Come." He reached for her hand and grasped it gently yet firmly. Hermione was a little too tired from her recent nap to fully register that he had just grabbed her hands and begun pulling her from her room. He took one hand and covered her eyes before wrapping his other arm around her waist, guiding her down the short hall and in to the kitchen./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8f88e859fb23a6d7b82bbdd83b6d7359""Where are you taking me," Hermione mumbled, still half asleep. Draco simply chuckled to himself and continued to guide her to the table. He pulled out her chair and let go of her./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cb4c30f3ec8411e160ad9b3b466c259f""Keep your eyes closed for another second," Draco whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek. The man saw a light pink blush spread across Hermione's cheeks. He went to stand behind his chair, straightened his clothes, and finally he told her to open her eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="ffcbca92c766917b01ad1cd245f5055d"Draco watched as Hermione opened her eyes and gasped softly. He had his signature smirk on his face. His eyes followed her gaze as she observed the set up. "W-what's this?" Her eyes widened, confusion filling her beautiful face./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="6cdf37b33b4575da2f7897365fe8f099""Hermione, you do so much for Leslie and me. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but for some reason you have deemed me worthy of your company and support. I was a complete asshole to you for almost our entire time at Hogwarts. You have been working so hard, I thought it was time that I did something for you." Draco took a break from speaking to gauge her reaction before continuing. "So, what do you think?"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cb270644553eab8d40596fc30f8d3f62"For the first time in his life, Draco looked self-conscious. He looked down at the table, avoiding Hermione's eyes. His arms were held in front of himself, and his shoulders even slumped a little bit./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9b91b0d10fabe6d4f1b1434995a4731f""Draco, I-" Hermione swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't know what to say," she whispered as she walked over to Draco, forcing him to look into her eyes. "Thank you so much." Her words were quiet, tears pooled in her eyes./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="557fee977c17e31ebc763ad986d5d949"Draco watched as a single tear began to fall down her, in his opinion, perfect face. He lifted his hand and wiped it away with his thumb. His hand cupped her cheek. He knew that he had to say it. He couldn't keep it in any longer. "Hermione," he said softly, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "I love you."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cd9a2bd7f4afec72f8a6702765046d71""W-what did you say?" Hermione's lip trembled as she processed Draco's soft words./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8058f0da68a7bdf0f7e3e701165d6808""I said I love you," Draco sighed, relieved. "Merlin, it's such a relief to finally say it. Hermione, I love you! I love you! I love you! I love you!" His voice got louder with each utterance, his confidence peaking as he finally got the feelings off of his chest and formulated them into words./p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="f1b62bb3816736d99e3e2c5b5234f7a2""You don't mean that," she mumbled, looking down at her feet. "You can't possibly love em style="box-sizing: border-box;"me/em." Hermione looked up at Draco as she spoke, her eyes alight with a fiery determination that he loved so much to see. "I'm nothing to you; we both know that. In your head I'm just another shag, except this one went awry. You are only here because you feel obligated to be, but we don't need you. Leslie and I did just fine without you in the picture, and we will still be fine if you leave again. So just em style="box-sizing: border-box;"go/em. Don't try to spew meaningless lies in the hopes that I'll produce an heir for you. Find somebody else to fuck with, Malfoy. I'm done with this charade. Get out of my flat."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="96b2add761baa213d2b285af4670b907"Draco's pale face seemed to get even more so as she spoke. He stayed silent the entire time, unable to think past the shattering pain radiating from his heart. "But, Hermione, I'm telling the tru-"/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="e8c5b6d2b93a7178e1438e577d78b155""Don't." She placed a hand on his chest to push him away from her as she suddenly found herself disgusted by him. "Just leave," Hermione let out a shaky breath as she stepped back. "Please."/p  
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="aed32381fa49b45127bf731261bd2a06"Unwilling to hurt his love, Draco sadly shuffled out of the flat. As he left, he felt a familiar coldness beginning to course through his veins. He knew what was happening, and he didn't try to stop it. Numbness spread to each of his limbs, and he sighed at the eerie calm that overcame him. "I hope you come to your senses, Granger," he quipped before turning on his heel and stalking away./p 


	7. A Clean Break

**Quick author's note! Check the ending of the last chapter (if you haven't already) because I added on to it!**

Hermione woke happily the next morning before it all came crashing back to her. The flowers, the dinner, the confession, her kicking him out, his cold gaze as he left, everything. She slumped down under the burden it placed upon her shoulders. She knew what she had done was wrong; she wasn't an idiot. But there was absolutely no way that she would admit that.

To stop thinking about the man that she had hurt, she thought about her daughter. Hermione was absolutely stunned by how amazing her daughter seemed to be. She acknowledged the fact that every parent thought his or her child was perfect. Since she was nearly 4 months old, Leslie had developed a lot since her birth. Pale skin like porcelain and grey eyes perfectly mirrored her father's, but she had light brown curls much like her mother.

A chill swept through her as she realized that it was quiet, once again, in her tiny apartment. She bolted out of bed and across the hall to get her daughter when she saw it. The scene in front of her sent chills down her spine and burned itself into her brain. Leslie was lying in her crib, as usual, except she was deathly white. Even whiter than Draco had ever been. Walking over to the crib was a formality at this point; she already knew what she would find. Despite already knowing what she would see, the shock still hit her full force.

And all she could do was scream.

Draco suddenly felt something snap inside of him. After sitting in his room for the past 12 hours, he was actually feeling something again. Unfortunately for him, it was almost crippling.

"Draco!" He heard his mother's voice from somewhere else in the manor. "You might want to come look at this."

He sullenly stomped down the stairs, following the sound of his mother's voice into his father's office. The young man stopped short when he saw his mother softly sobbing by the family tapestry. He went to her, comforting her to the best of his ability. Knowing that she might not want to talk about it, he didn't pry for information. To pass the time, he looked over at the family tapestry, studying it idly.

Leslie Rane Granger  
1999-1999

At first, he didn't notice anything different, but then realization set in. Leslie had just been born the past January, yet there was now a death date on the tapestry.

"Mother, I'm sorry. I can't stay. I have to go."

"Go to her, Draco."

Draco immediately apparated to Hermione's flat, knowing that she would probably be there. He popped into the living room, looking around and not seeing her anywhere. The pale man rushed around the flat, checking the kitchen, bathroom, and even the nursery. He froze when he entered the small room that used to hold their daughter, the guilt eating him from the inside. He couldn't help but feel as if he could've done something to prevent what happened. Not knowing the cause of death made it worse.

After standing in the now depressing room, he knew that there was only one place left to check. The master bedroom. Draco walked down the short hallway and up to the closed door. He could sense that Hermione was just behind this door; his body felt magnetically pulled towards hers at all times. He knocked.

"Granger?" Draco spoke quietly, not wanting to surprise her. "Are you in there?" No answer. He _knew_ that she was in there. "Hermione, open this door. I know you're in there." He began to panic. _Why isn't she answering,_ he asked himself, _she shouldn't be alone right now._ He made the decision to abandon his manners, and he reached for the doorknob. It was locked. Draco sighed and pulled out his wand, immediately unlocking the door.

The scene within the room was not anything different from what one would expect to see in the middle of the night. Except it wasn't the middle of the night; it was early in the afternoon. Hermione was lying in the bed, curled up in the fetal position and staring at the wall. It broke his heart. To see this woman, who had been vibrant with emotion less than 24 hours ago, as a shell of herself was agonizing.

Hermione's face was blank, just like her mind. She barely wanted to live anymore. The idea of waking up and not seeing her daughter's beautiful face made her cringe in fear. So she simply didn't think about it. She didn't think about anything anymore. After she had found her daughter, she called the paramedics but it was far too late. Leslie had been gone for hours before Hermione even found her. She had then lay down on her bed, crying and crying until there were no more tears to be shed. Now she stayed still on her bed pushing everything out of her mind. Every memory ripped at her heart and her conscience, filling her with guilt and hopelessness. Her daughter had been the only thing keeping her afloat, so now she was simply drowning.

A voice woke her from her stupor, reminding her that there were other people in this world. She blinked for the first time in hours, her eyes focusing on the moving shape in front of her. Hermione's brain registered that she knew the person that stood in front of her. A man, definitely, with platinum blonde hair. Then she became aware of the pale skin and silver eyes and everything came crashing back. She pulled her arms up to cradle her head and shield her eyes from the familiar sight in front of her. Surprisingly, she didn't feel any pain or sadness. She just felt nothing.

The man reached out and pried Hermione's arms off of her face. "Hermione," he spoke softly, "you can't lie here and wallow in your pain."

Hermione found herself shaking her head. "No," she rasped, her throat sore from screaming. She didn't recognize her own voice.

"Hermione, listen," the man began. "I'm upset too. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I feel as though a section of my heart has been brutally ripped out. I would love nothing more than to curl up beside you and let numbness wash over me, but I'm done being numb. I've made myself feel nothing ever since I was little and I'm tired of it. I hate to say it, but she's gone, Hermione. But there's still something that we can do. We can continue on with our lives, and try to be as happy as possible." His hands rubbed her arms as he spoke, calming her on a subconscious level. "It's what she'd want."

"But she can't have wanted us to do anything; she was just a baby." Hermione broke into sobs on the last syllable as a whole new wave of tears came from somewhere deep within.

"No more tears, love," he practically begged her. "Hermione, please."

Hermione stiffened as she saw a small shine travel down the man's cheek. A tear.

Just like that, her world spun back in to focus. She loved this man. It was Draco. Draco was here to comfort her, and now he was crying. All of his words registered in her brain as she sobbed louder.

Hermione surprised Draco when she suddenly shot out her arms and pulled him towards her and into a warm embrace. He relaxed; she was back. "Draco, I can't do this. It hurts too much," she whispered after a while of this awkward hug. Draco pulled back and walked around to the other side of the bed, speaking as he walked.

"I know, love. It hurts me too." By this time, he had climbed in behind her and wrapped his arms around her lovingly. "But we can get through it. We just have to work together and support each other."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't do it. I just can't."

"Hermione, you are the smartest woman that I have ever known. There is _nothing_ that you can't do." With that, they were both silent. Eventually, they each fell into a deep sleep, drawing energy and serenity from the other.

Though it was unavoidable, neither wanted to wake again.

 **Hey guys! Sorry it took so long, but was it worth it? I feel like y'all are going to kill me because of how sad this chapter is, but I honestly couldn't help it.**

 **As always, I can't thank you guys enough for reading my work! Please leave comments saying what you think and what you'd like to see next!**


	8. ON HOLD

Until further notice, this story is currently on hold. I don't have any inspiration for it anymore! I'm so sorry, but I'm unable to continue it at this time.

However, I have ideas bouncing around my head for a NEW dramione story! I am working on it right now, and I will try my best to post it soon. Stay tuned!


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